BBB: Watch Out for Fake Blackhawks Tickets and Merchandise

From the Better Business Bureau:

With visions of two successive Stanley Cup Championships for Chicago’s Blackhawks dancing in the minds of fans, the Better Business Bureau is cautioning supporters to control their enthusiasm when looking to purchase tickets and merchandise.

“Explosive fan enthusiasm for a team’s performance is exactly what scammers are looking for,” explains Steve J. Bernas, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau serving Chicago and Northern Illinois. “That’s because passion for the team often gets in the way of being a smart consumer.

“Counterfeiters selling fake tickets and poor quality, unlicensed merchandise are two ways that bad guys make money from other people’s good times,” says Bernas. “Whenever there is excitement for any team or performance event, the bad guys see opportunities to take advantage of people wanting to be part of the experience.”

Here are some suggestions on how to avoid buying fake tickets and illegal merchandise:

• Don't fall for too-good-to-be-true deals. One-time good deals should be red flags to anyone anxious for a ticket. Illegal ticket sellers know excitement about the event too often gets in the way of common sense and smart buying.
• Buy tickets and merchandise from a reputable ticket broker or retailer. There are established businesses that have been selling legitimate tickets for years. Many are Accredited Businesses with the BBB.
• Look for the official hologram and license from the sports league. These are very difficult to fake and an excellent indication of a licensed product.
• If buying merchandise online, buy from licensed sites. Lookout for broken English in the descriptions. This could indicate an overseas company, and these companies are among the principal culprits in producing counterfeit goods.
• Check the BBB website of ask.bbb.org for Business Reports on an individual business. Reviewing online reports and Consumer Reviews about various businesses helps you avoid being cheated.
• Use a credit card if possible, so you can appeal to the card company. Using a credit card allows you to dispute the charge before you pay.
• Report the scam to BBB Scam Tracker at ww.bbb.org/scamtracker/Chicago. If you believe you’ve been scammed report it to the authorities and at the special BBB website page to warn others.

"Excitement should come from the Blackhawks winning performance,” says Bernas, “not disappointment by losing money with fake tickets or poor merchandise,"

For more information on scams, visit www.bbb.org/chicago, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or add us on Pinterest.